7 Natural Beauty Products To Take to a Desert Island: From Dry Shampoo to Balms and Creams

Quick! You have 20 seconds to decide which natural beauty products you can’t live without. What would they be?

You’re sailing on the South Pacific, sunning yourself on deck while Charlie Hunnam/Kerry Washington/similarly beautiful person periodically spritzes your face with purified water. Suddenly, Melville ahoy! A whale mistakes your cruiser for a play toy and you’re being flipped around deck like wind chimes in a tornado.

Charlie, regretting nothing, sacrifices himself for your safety, but not before tossing your beloved makeup bag into your arms. Just as the ship is smashed to pieces, you grasp the bag to your chest and swim to a nearby desert island.

Collapsing onto the white sands, you open the bag and contemplate your incredible foresight in packing your essential beauty products. You’re so thrilled with yourself that you completely miss Charlie staggering to shore in a bare-chested glory.

Charlie Hunnam is psyched about your beauty products.

But back to the bag! What would you pack if you could only take a few natural beauty products with you from here to eternity? Still thinking? Here are seven products we suggest for the cut.

1. Hair Ties from Di Hair Tie ($8.99)

Your hair may be straight, curly, kinky, thick, or fine. But if it is longer than two inches, it is going to need wrangling. My fine, straight hair starts looking like something a cat slept in if I go longer than a few days without washing. The only thing to wrestle it into place? A hair elastic.

I’m a fan of the Scunci Soft No Damage Elastics, which can usually be found dangling around my wrist at all hours. Want an eco-friendly version? Check out these hair ties (pictured above) from Di Hair Tie, which are made with plant-based dyes.

This product from Thayer has longed reigned at the top of my beauty regime. Besides sun block, it’s usually the only product I use on my face in the summer months. It moisturizes without leaving my face feeling greasier than it needs to feel in the heat and humidity. Throw some into a small spritzing bottle and mist your face after each shower. Your skin tone will thank you, usually by glowing.

3. EO Organics Deodorant ($5.99)

Made with certified organic ingredients, this product is free of aluminum salts, zinc, and propylene glycol, all questionable ingredients found in common deodorants. I’ve used it for five years now and would probably be my first line of defense in a zombie apocalypse—both for the odor emanating from myself and the undead.

Have you ever checked out the beauty section at Whole Foods? It’s like the natural industry decided that lip balms must be as prolific as rabbits and just as diverse. The offering from Aubrey Organics is consistently as top balm. Available in an assortment of flavors, it is USDA organic. And more to the point, it works like a charm, leaving your lips moisturized and soothed.

I have to wear sun block. (And here’s what I always wear.) Hats are key to existence. (Check out this ethical one from Pachacuti.)

But despite sun block and hats, I still can’t step outside for more than a few minutes without any exposed skin starting to burn. I’m not alone; regardless of skin hue, sun protection is key in our ozone-depleted world.

This is why the Mineral Fusion Brush On Sun Defense permanently lives in my bag. Usually an hour or two into my day, I’ll sweep it across my face for added protection. And the best part? It’s in powder form, so it helps with sweat and oil. Free of parabens, SLS, phthalates, artificial colors and synthetic fragrances, it is also gluten-free.

Many of us don’t like to wash our hair daily. Between the excessive water use and the dubious products out there, it’s enough to make you want to shave your head and invest in the best hat collection this side of Kensington Palace. (Your move, Kate Middleton.)

This is why dry shampoo is a great alternative to daily washings—it picks up the dirt and oils in your hair, leaving you to wash another day. This vegan product from Skinny Skinny is simply made with certified organic ingredients like brown rice powder, white clay, and rose and black pepper essential oils.

Be it the height of a humid summer or the depths of a frigid winter, moisturizer is a skin’s best friend. This vegan organic whipped body crème offers up some of the purest hydration your body can ask for. Made with ingredients like organic aloe vera juice and organic fair trade unrefined shea butter infused with herbs, it’s like buttering your skin.

Best of all, it goes on lightly without leaving a greasy residue. Which will come in handy when you’re rolling in the sand on your desert island, tearfully thanking Charlie for saving your life—and your natural beauty products.

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